Optimization of process conditions for chitosan-manuka honey film as wound contact layer for wound dressings

Manuka honey, as a healer for vast variety of wounds, stimulated this present study and the advantages of chitosan and honey in wound healing is combined together to develop a chitosan-honey film wound contact layer. In this study, using solvent evaporation technique, chitosan-honey films were developed and the process parameters like concentration of chitosan, honey and glycerol were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) against the responses like Water Vapour Transmission Rate (WVTR), swelling ratio, antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, tensile strength and elongation. The effects of individual responses were discussed against all the variables using contour plots. The responses are optimized and the process parameters for achieving optimum responses to be used as a wound contact layers are chitosan concentration of 2%, honey concentration of 13% and glycerol concentration of 15%.